The Pentagon’s 2025 assessment to the US Congress identifies Pakistan as China’s most significant partner for advanced air combat platforms, highlighting exclusive J-10C exports as a central pillar of deeper defence ties.
The report records that Beijing has delivered a total of 36 J-10C fighters to the Pakistan Air Force under orders placed since 2020, with 20 aircraft in service by May 2025 and remaining deliveries expected to complete by early 2026. The J-10C is described as a fourth-generation multirole fighter equipped with modern avionics and an AESA radar, and these J-10C exports mark a notable enhancement of Pakistan’s frontline capabilities.
Pentagon analysts note that China rose to become the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter by December 2024, driven by state-owned firms such as AVIC and Norinco that offer cost-competitive alternatives to Western suppliers. That export push has translated into sustained technology transfers and procurement packages for partners like Pakistan.
Beyond the J-10C, the report highlights long-standing industrial cooperation exemplified by the jointly developed JF-17 Thunder, which has been exported to countries including Azerbaijan, Myanmar and Nigeria. Pakistan has also received strike-capable unmanned aerial vehicles from Chinese families such as Caihong and Wing Loong, and Beijing has supplied naval platforms and air defence systems that broaden Islamabad’s combat capabilities.
US assessment authors interpret these ties as more than transactional arms sales, pointing to operational interoperability and strategic alignment. The Pakistan Air Force’s unique status as the only export operator of the J-10C underscores a degree of trust and systems integration that could influence deterrence calculations across South Asia.
The report references contested operational claims involving Chinese systems in Pakistani service during May 2025, underlining how integrated Chinese hardware has become in PAF operations even as official details remain debated. Defence cooperation also extends to joint training, working groups and exercises designed to deepen tactical coordination between the two air forces.
Analysts say the rise in China Pakistan defence cooperation and the flow of platforms from J-10C fighters to drones and naval assets may shift regional power dynamics, present new options for other developing states on the arms market, and raise diplomatic questions for neighbouring states. For Pakistan, access to advanced Chinese platforms reinforces a long-standing security partnership that continues to shape its force structure.
